In what will be his first marathon, Justin Weston of Mount Maunganui hopes to raise $25,000 for the Mental Health Foundation NZ while blindfolded.

He will compete at the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon on Sunday.

This challenge is deeply personal for Weston, who has suffered from anxiety and depression most of his life.

“I thought I had found my passion, my purpose, and I was super excited. And then six years went on and last year it hit me that this isn’t what I wanted. I thought, ‘you’re kidding, I’m 27 years old now, you’re not going to tell I have to restart again’. That thought ate away at me,” he said.

Weston often worried that he was meant for something great but had no idea what it was. He felt a disconnect between his current life and where he wanted to be.

He dropped out of university and spent six-years as a builder but his torment only grew with time.

Like many who struggle with mental health, Weston turned to drugs and alcohol to fill the void until he found a Personal Trainer qualification course – something he had always wanted to do.

Through his personal training journey, he’s learnt to enjoy the reward of discomfort, of feeling fear and overcoming it.

“I started being able to hash out a lot of my thoughts through running in the most positive way, I feel like you get positive endorphins when you run,” he said.

Weston found joy in running and began to run longer distances. Inspired to help others, he aimed to complete a marathon blindfolded with a guide’s support.

He will run the entire 42.2 kilometres blindfolded, but his friend Pita Tupou will act as a guide during the race.

“Although life may seem dark, and the journey daunting, with a little help from the ones around us and holding onto the faith that if we just keep moving forward, everything will eventually be alright,” Weston said.

For Weston, the symbolism behind the blindfold marathon is a journey from dark to light.

“The blindfold solidifies my whole journey. It was so dark and unknown, and I fear the future so much. But at the end of the day, it was all good. I just had to have faith and talk to the people around me, which essentially is the guide, and have faith that they’re going to help me through and get me to the end,” Weston said.

He now runs a business as a qualified Personal Trainer, is married and eight months sober.

“I truly believe our life is already mapped out for us, all it takes is to keep putting one foot in front of another until inevitably we reach the light at the end of the tunnel.”

To support Justin’s journey and donate to the Mental Health Foundation NZ visit https://aucklandmarathon2024.grassrootz.com/mhfnz/justin-weston